inside [hsm] fall 2012

7/31/2019 INSIDE [HSM] Fall 2012

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1 | FIRST THINGS HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM | 2

Josh Grn an the HSM TeamH i h S c h P s S c C h c h

2012 all edition

CONTENTS

A WORD FROMOUR PASTOR

WELCOME | Getting It Right

H e r e S w H a t I m H o P I n g y o u l l

f o C u S o n a S w e j o u r n e y t o g e t H e r :

GROW YOUR FAITH

Our primary goal is to help you grow in your aith. The

pages o this magazine are lled with ideas; all year youll

get the best teaching, resources, Lie Groups, tools and

serving opportunities that a church can oer. Anyone who

genuinely wants to grow in his or her aith will be chal-

lenged here.

HAVE NO FEAR

HSM is a sae place or you wherever you are in your

spiritual journey. Not a Christian? Come learn more about

God without ear o being singled out. Are you a reshman?

The transition rom being the big shot in the junior high

group to being the youngest in the high school group is

tough. Whatever it is youre acing this all, weve seen it

beore and well walk through it with you.

LETS HAVE FUN

We want people to have a good time when they walk into

the Renery or show up at an event. Most students use the

word boringwhen they describe church, so every week-

end, we do our best to shatter the stereotype.

DO LIFE WITH FRIENDS

You become who you hang around.Even though Ive

known students who hate when I say it, Ive seen that

truth played out thousands o times over the years. Almost

everything in high school revolves around riends! To n-

ish strong, good riends are vital. HSM has got a kajillion

people who could potentially be a great riend or you.

GET TO THE FINISH

I want to see you nish high school strong in your aith. I

had Wing Stop this week with two o my avorite just-

graduated seniors and we reected on the incredible

our year journey theyve been on. I want to have wings

with you when you nish the right way, too.... And ries. I likeries with my wings.

So bring your school spirit to the ootball games, take

advantage o instant streaming on Netix, and enjoy all

that HSM has to oer this all. I promise itll be a school

year youll never orget!

Youre holding the very first

issue of INSIDE[HSM]! Wehope it is super helpful and

encouraging as you powerthrough high school this fall.

Want to go digital?Theres an iPad editi on, too!

visit highschoolministry.comto get it

CONNECT WiTH HSM!wed love to hear rom you!

This is the best time o the year! Football under the Friday night lights. Sweat-shirt weather. New episodes o Modern Family. It is going to be an incredibleschool year!

g. 7HIng you need to know about lIe grouPS

saddlebackhsm

@h ighschoolmin istrypg. 36rICk warren on wHat matterS moSt

pg. 43you are wHat you watCH

pg. 13How to SurvIve HIgH SCHool

pg. 1tranSorm your t-SHIrt


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F IR ST TH IN GS | 6

My rule o thumb is that i you can help it, hold o on starting a relationship. Highschool already brings a ton o pressure and the last thing you need is a relation-ship that brings more complications into your lie. But i you are thinking aboutgoing in that direction, here are a ew things I would love or you to think about.

This is my relationship checklist:

1. Christ must be rst in both lives (2 Corinthians 6:14). Its easier to keepyour standards and boundaries when your moral compasses are the same.

2. Your relationships should be making you a better person and evenstrengthening your walk with Christ. The people in your lie should be add-ing to it and not negatively taking away rom it. See Proverbs 27:17.

3. Write down truths about how God sees and loves you and have stan-dards that reect that. Remember that God sees you as someone worthdying or! Dont insult what He did by letting someone treat you with lessrespect than you deserve.

4. Set boundaries and talk honestly, openly, and requently about them.Those who ail to set boundaries ail to understand that the consequenceso their actions can be lie changing or the worse. SET BOUNDARIES!!!

5. Have an accountability partner that you can be truthul with and givethem the authority to speak into your lie. You need someone whos going totell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Ecclesiastes 4:10.

6. Dont be araid to end a relationship that is not honoring God. I you arein a relationship (whether its with riends or boyriend/girlriend) and itsdragging you down or you are starting to make bad choices, seek counseland dont be araid to end the relationship.

7. Let your parents weigh in on your decision.#superunpopularbutyouwontregretit

Hope it helps,Dr. AC

I like this guy and he likes me. I want to start a relationship

with him but I also want it to honor God. Any advice?

I want you to know that your circumstances do not dene you nor do they deneyour worth. No matter what people have done or said to you and no matterwhat you have done, God loves you and values you. You are valuable to God He

created you (Job 33:4)! The Bible says that Jesus Christ gave His lie or us while wewere against Him (Romans 5:8), so that we will have the opportunity to be withHim orever(John 3:16). This means He made the decision based on how He eltabout us and not based on our abilities, our behavior, or what we have to oerHim. Your value doesnt come rom you or other people but it comes rom the onewho created you (Psalm 139:13-14).

1. God has created you in His image.So God created mankind in his own image, in the image o God he createdthem; male and emale he created them. -Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

2. God is always thinking about you.How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be num-bered. -Psalm 139:17 (NLT)

3. God cares about every area o your lie and

wants to be there or you.Casting the whole o your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all yourconcerns, once and or all] on Him, or He cares or you aectionately andcares about you watchully. -1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

4. God loves you and there is nothing that can

ever make Him stop.For I am convinced that neither death nor lie, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the uture, nor any powers, neither height nordepth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us rom thelove o God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

5. God has created you with a purpose.For we are Gods masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so wecan do the good things he planned or us long ago. -Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

You are loved,Dr. AC

Im a Christian but Ive had a rough lie growing up and I

struggle with eeling valued. I eel like Im losing this battle.

N e e d a d v i c e ? D r o p u s a n o t e a t h i g h s c h o o l m i n i s t r y . c o m !

Q.

Q.


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Whether youve been involved in HSM or a long time or arejust now being introduced, Lie Groups are the best place to getconnected.

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Lie Groups meet across ourcommunity to provide a one-on-one connection betweenstudents as a leader guides them through challenging lessonsand un activities. Lie Groups are the best way to orge strongerriendships rooted in the things that matter most. In order to geta good picture o what being in a small group is really like, wetalked to a leader and a student about their experiences in a LieGroup at HSM.

Ian Glatz is a Junior at El Toro and has been in his Lie Groupsince Freshmen year. He describes his leaders, Nathan Wells andParker Clouse, as very close riends who are always there or himwhen he needs someone to talk to. When asked i he would rec-ommend that other students join a Lie Group he said adamant-ly, Absolutely. They should denitely join a Lie Group becauseeverybody needs ellowship and everybody needs someone totalk to with openness.

He has been meeting with his small group every Tuesday nightor almost 3 years (with the exception o summers) and de-scribes the group as a perect opportunity to ellowship andgrow in his aith. Ian says his avorite part o Lie Group is theopenness and saety ound there.He didnt really know any othe guys in his group beore joining, but now these guys arenow his closest riends.

Theres no doubt that Ians lie is just one example o many stu-dents in HSM whose lives have been changed because o theirLie Groups.

Leaders play a signicant role in creating a lie-changing groupthat promotes spiritual growth, ellowship, and un.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN

A LIFE GROUP LEADER?

I started leading a group o reshmenlast October and I hope to continuewith the same girls throughout theirhigh school years.WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO

BE A LIFE GROUP LEADER?

My love and concern or my teen niecesand nephews. I eel as though this is theage group that needs caring mentors intheir lives that can come alongside theirparents to help lay a strong ounda-tion o truth. Its that knowledge andcondence in the truth o Gods Wordthat these students are really going toneed throughout high school and espe-cially college. These years dene their

character and their lie goals. I want togive them the tools they need so thatthey can live the amazing lie God hasplanned or them right rom the startwithout getting sidetracked with theways o this world.

WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DO YOU

DO WITH YOUR LIFE GROUP?

My group meets at my house everyTuesday. They are greeted with thewheel-o-snacksand chit chat. Wespend about 30 minutes talking andthen we go into our lesson. We alwaysend up talking about what is going onin their lives and how the lesson appliesor can be applied. I like to challengethem with something they can ocuson during the week and then talk aboutthe eect it had on their thinking, be-havior, or even their outlook. I ocus lesson un and more on taking advantageo the little time I have with them to

ll them up or the week. We saved up all our un time or ourend-o-the-year party and had a hotel sleepover. It was a blast!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR

LIFE GROUP?The absolute greatest thing about leading a Lie Group is whenyou get a text or a card rom a student expressing the impactyou are having in their lives and their gratitude. It lls my heartup with joy! The other awesome thing is the impact these girlshave had on me. I have truly grown and learned so much aboutGod, mysel, and the lie o high schoolers.WHY SHOULD STUDENTS GET INVOLVED?

To be around other students who love God and long to knowHim better. Weekend services are great, but the small groupsetting really helps students to open up and be honest withtheir questions, doubts and concerns. Also they get to have aspiritual leader mentoring, encouraging and loving on them.This is something I wish I had at their age. It would have madea huge dierence in my lie. Most importantly, I believe it isabsolutely imperative to keep the students involved, talking,praying and reading the Bible so that it becomes a daily habitin their lives. This helps them to remain aware o Gods pres-ence. When they know and embrace the truth that they areloved by their Heavenly Father, they are redeemed by the Son,and they are renewed by the Spirit, there is nothing that canstand in their way o ullling the purpose that God intends orthem!

INSIDE LIFE GROUPS

8 WAYS TO GET THE MOSTOUT OF LIFE GROUP

If you want to become the FAVORITE of everyone in

your Life Group, follow the tips below and youre sure

to be an all-star. Trust me.

b Monca Ware

We talewth Tac

Seaabot her

exerenceso beng aLe Groleaer anwhat shehas seenher grogo throghn the frstear shehas beena leaer.

1Show up on timeashionably late is anoverused statement. Show people youcare about them by respecting their time.

2Bring both sweet and salty snacks whenits your turn to bring a treat to group.Everyone knows that a balance o both othese avors is a MUST at any gathering!

3Wear comy clothes. You never knowwhen you might be sitting on theoor and you will denitely want tobe as comortable as possible.

4 Dont bring your homework to group.Homework stinks and Jesus is so muchcooler than your Algebra 2 assignment.

5Hang with your leader outside o group!Your leader signed up to lead your groupbecause they really like you and want toget to know you, so get past the initialawkwardness and ask them to coee orrozen yogurt-they might even oer topay! Who doesnt love ree ood?!

6Open up! Take a risk and let the peoplein your group get to know the REAL you.We know it can be scary to open up andlet people in. But we promise you wontregret it. Share about your highs, lows

and everything in between!

7Bring your Bible to group every week.Your Bible will be used a lot, so youwant to make sure youre prepared. Iyou dont have one, well give you one!

8Be adventurous! Lie Group isnt justabout studying the Bible, its also aboutputting what you learn into practice. Sodont be araid to take some risks, prayaloud, share your aith, serve in localministries. Your group and God arewith youyou can do anything!

Follow these tips, and youll have the greatest Life Group year!


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You just went rom being a super sick 8th grader to thebottom o the ood chain. You may eel weird being ina school thats twice the size o your last one, but youllget the hang o things in no time. Remember that all thestudents above you were reshmen once, so they actuallydo understand eeling awkward, and theyre more willingto help you than you think. Dont be araid to ask them tohelp you nd a class or tell you how to survive classes withthe craziest o teachers.

High school will go by aster than you think so make sureyou look or ways to get involved! Dont put o signingup or ASB, trying out or the volleyball team, starting a

Pokmon club, meeting the riends sitting next to you inclass, auditioning or the musical, enrolling in Yearbook, ordoing track with all your riends. Dont be araid to try di-erent things and see what you have the most un with!

The more you put in, the more youll get out o highschool, so embrace those spirit days, do your homework,and above all, seek God out in this new season o lie. AskHim to provide you with a solid group o r iends, to guideyou as you look or ways to get involved, and to help youtrust that He has a plan or your next our years. And restassuredyou dont have to have everything gured out.

SOME VERSES TO HOLD ONTO

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heartsdesires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, andhe will help you.-Psalm 37:4-5

For I hold you by your r ight handI, the Lord your God.And I say to you, Dont be araid. I am here to help you.-Isaiah 41:13

Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.Tell God what you need, and thank him or all he has done.Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds any-thing we can understand. His peace will guard your heartsand minds as you live in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 4:6-7

So youre about to start your second year o high school...the inamous in-between grade. But look on the brightside - youve had a year to get accustomed to the wonderulworld o high school.

Youre just a year away rom being able to go o campus,but dont give in to the temptation to sneak o. It wont beworth the trouble youll get into i you get caught. Try nd-ing a spot on campus where you can chill during lunchcould be that really awesome tree, the bench in the middleo campus, the ASB room, or that good olair-conditionedhallway.

Its easy to get comortable with your seemingly solidiedgroup o riends, but try to stay invitingthere are stillthousands o students you havent met and you never knowwho God wants you to become riends with. Try inviting theriends youve met to church and build your riendships onChrist so that they are strong and lasting.

Keep in mind that your grades denitely matter, so dontbe araid to say, No,to some social gatherings i it meanskeeping those As and Bs. Be careul not to get caught upin the wrong things, like partying or slacking o on yourschool work. Even doing your homework can be done orthe glory o God!

Fix your eyes on Christ, and He will help you overcome thetemptations, struggles, and conusions o high school. Hewants to bless you with a year ull o deep riendships, unmemories, and eeling ully condent in who Hes made youto be.

SOME VERSES TO KEEP IN MIND

The temptations in your lie are no dierent rom what othersexperience. And God is aithul. He will not allow the temptation to

be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will showyou a way out so that you can endure.-1 Corinthians 10:13

Think about the things o heaven, not the things o earth. Foryou died to this lie, and your real lie is hidden with Christ in God.-Colossians 3:2-3

Can you believe youre already an upperclassman? We toldyou high school ies by! So many slight changesthechance to go o campus at lunch, riends who can driveyou, a whole new load o challenging classes, and nowbeing in the older hal o the whole school.

We hope that you start this school year eeling even moresure about your identity in Christ, eeling plugged intoHSM, and joyully realizing that every d ay at school is anopportunity to share Gods love with people. While riend-ships may have started to eel really stable and youvegot a good idea on how to navigate school work and un,continue to let God be your rock.

As classes get harder, let yoursel have some unkeepdressing up on spirit days, hitting up the ootball games,and showing the underclassmen how to soak up all thathigh school has to oer.

SOME VERSES TO KEEP IN MIND

Obviously, Im not trying to win the approval o people, but oGod. I pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christsservant.-Galatians 1:10

Gods way is perect. All the Lords promises prove true. He isa shield or all who look to him or protection. For who is Godexcept the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God armsme with strength, and he makes my way perect.-Psalm 18:30-32

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were work-ing or the Lord rather than or people.-Colossians 3:23

Your last year o high school is nally here. Crazy, right?We hope that instead o eeling burned out, you are readyto dive into these last nine months o one o the mostunique, exciting seasons o lie. Its easy to go into senioryear expecting an easy class load and the glorious ree-dom o getting out o school at lunch, but be careul thatthis assumption doesnt lead you to committing to toomany things with all that extra ree time. Itll ll up asterthan you think.

You guys are the role models now disciple underclass-men. You have the power to make them eel like the cool-est kid in the whole school. Think o what your love and

attention could do to their our-year trajectory!

Reect on how Gods gited you as you consider what tostudy in college, but be patient with yoursel its totallyne i you arent sure what your major should be, or whichcollege to commit to. God will reveal His plan to you in Histiming, so press into Him and experience His peace as Heprepares you or the upcoming transition.

SOME VERSES TO HOLD ONTO

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on yourown understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he willshow you which path to take.-Proverbs 3:5-6

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wisethe rest o your lie. You can make many plans, but the Lordspurpose will prevail.-Proverbs 19:20-21

...I ocus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and lookingorward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end o therace and receive the heavenly prize or which God, through

Christ Jesus, is calling us.-Philippians 3:13-14

HOW TO SURVIVE H IGH SCHOOLFRESHMEN... Sophomores... Juniors... SEniors...

by Emily Arnold

13 | SEPT EMBER HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM |14


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2012 fall edition | 15

OCTOBER SERIES ARC

17 | OCTOBER


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NOVEMBER ARC

2012 fall edition | 15

INSTATIPS/PACEYOSELF

19 | NOVEMBER


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CHRISTMAS? CIDER? still

need cider pictures.

NOVEMBER ARC

D EC EM B ER | 22


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EN TER TA IN M EN T | 24

COMIC STRIP


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RWANDA

Its the small moments thatcan change your lie: runningthrough an airport terminalwith 35 other people aterpraying over lost luggage,seeing a crowd gather as youhike down a hill toward a vil-lage, hearing a womans storyo Gods providence inside hermakeshit dirt home. Split sec-onds o time that reverberatein your memory long ater the

moment has passed.

This summer, 36 students andleaders participated in a mis-sions trip to Rwanda, and thesmall moments added up to alie-giving, God-breathed twoweeks.

b Heather Leth

GET

INVOLVED:

thx r ipi i 7h17h.

C hfsii i S,Sp 8h

h 6:30 sic S,Sp 9h h 11:15 sic.

There was this 10-year-old girl serving mewhen we were supposed to be ser ving them,Kelsey says.Similarly aected by the trip was Chiara Heyer,who accepted Christ just a year ago. Rwanda isa country that was rocked by genocide in 1994,and many Rwandans carry painul memoriesin their hearts to this day. The team got to hearstories rom a ew villagers.You hear about it, but to see it was so craz y,

Chiara says o a woman whose husband waskilled in the genocide and who narrowly es-caped hersel.Not only were team members impacted whilethey were in the country; the experiences romthe trip aected their lie and their aith oncethey returned.Beore I was kind o timid in my aith and who Iwas created to be, Chiara says. On the trip, how-ever, she emerged as a leader o small groupdiscussions in the churches they visited andbecame re-energized in her passion or minis-tering to children.I had some passions but I didnt have a chan-nel, and now I have a channel,she says.Kelseys lie path was also redirected as a resulto the trip.Beore I wanted to do something to makemoney, but now I want to do microenterprisesto try to teach people to be sel-sustainable sothat they can thrive and not just be struggling.God set me on my path,she says.Its the small moments. Deciding to ollow thetug on your heart to reach beyond yoursel andserve others. Listening to God instead o listeningto ear. Reusing to live comortably and keep thegospel to yoursel. Split seconds o time will you make them count?

It was the most amazingexperience Ive ever been apart o, says Kelsey Bebout. Itopened my eyes up, not justthe poverty, but how joyulpeople can be with so little. Mywhole day is ruined because oa trivial thing going wrong, butthey are so joyul with nothing.Kelsey was especially impactedby a little girl named Belisse

who showed her the truemeaning o servanthood. Aterthe HSM team helped Beli ssesvillage make bricks to build achurch, Belisse washed Kelseyshands or her, even cleaningunderneath her nails.

SUMMER 2012:

RWANDA RECAP

SER V E | 26

by Heather Leith


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27 | SERVE

One look at the world around us

helps us to see why Jesus command

to serve one another in love is bothso important and so unusual. Take

one look at reality television, where

we enjoy and even root or people

who battle, step over, and betray

one another just or their shot at the

spotlight.

This sort o mentality was not

surprising to Jesus either; He was

well aware that a call to serve would

sound out o place. But Jesus

called them to him and said, You

know that the rulers o the Gentiles

lord it over them, and their great

ones exercise authority over them.

It shall not be so among you. But

whoever would be great among

you must be your servant, and

whoever would be rst amongyou must be your slave, even as

the Son o Man came not to be

served but to serve, and to give

his lie as a ransom or many

(Matthew 20:25-28). Power and

status in Gods kingdom are not

achieved by doing whatever it

takes to win. Jesus calls us to a

dierent standard o greatness;

greatness achieved by putting the

love and service o others ahead

o our own personal gain and

status.

Jesus himsel lived out a lie o ser-

vice to God and to his neighbor.

He didnt just come to tell people

to serve, he came himsel as a ser-

vant. Even though Jesus was God

incarnate among humanity, Jesus

did not expect to be served by hisdisciples. Rather, Jesus wanted to

teach them a dierent way o ex-

isting in the world. He did this by

taking on the role o a servant and

dying on the cross or the orgive-

ness o our sins.

We can now see that those o us

who would ollow Jesus would

also take up his attitude o serv-

ing. In act, God gives us all sorts

o gits and abilities so that we

can love and serve one another.

As each has received a git, use

it to serve one another, as good

stewards o Gods varied grace

(1 Peter 4:10). God doesnt save

us just so that we know what willhappen to us when we die, but

he also saves us so that we might

be a blessing in the lives o other

people whom we encounter while

we are alive. Serving means that

we have a chance to show other

people what Gods love looks like

here and now.

Serving is not something that is

optional or Christians; it is central

to knowing and loving God. Just asJesus came to the earth to love and

serve us, God is calling us all now

to serve and love those we meet at

school, on our sports teams, in our

amilies, in a ministry, or wherever

were at. But dont just take my

word or it; try it or yoursel.

Taylor Ishii is a veteran HSM volun-

teer and recently graduated rom

Fuller Theological Seminary with his

Master o Divinity degree. When he doesnt have

his nose in a book, hes watching his beloved

Manchester United or playing soccer himsel.


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29 | SER VE HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM | 30

Crew, despite the commonmisconception, is not Saddle-backs rowing team, but thetight-knit team o high-school-ers that hold the weekendservices together and makeHSM shine.

Their work is much more thanjust high-ving, hand-shaking,

and handing out pens and bul-letins.

I Josh Grifn decides to spon-taneously buy the entire 11:15service Cokes, Crew (ormerlyknown as Shake-It) buys aew dozen Cokes, lls them upand brings them over to theRenery theater. In the eventthat Parker and Justin decideto throw Twinkies at the crowdand two reshmen guys lungeor them in the air and miss,Crew picks up the mushyTwinkie that was squished intothe carpet upon their all.

The servant-hearted st udentsinvolved in Crew are alwayswilling to get their hands dirty

to bring glory to God. DelaneyParent, a senior at THHS and aleader o Crew, has learned toappreciate the small jobs bybeing a part o Crew.

At rst it can kind o stinkto be cleaning up trash anddoing things that not a loto people see, says Delaney,but the dirty work has to getdone whether or not it is seenor appreciated. God sees whatis done in secret and we willbe rewarded so greatly or the

things that we do,says Del-aney proudly.

Crew is a great place or any-one who wants to get moreinvolved, serve others, getconnected and meet new peo-ple. HSM can be a big place tobe at rst, and Crew strives tomake others eel welcomed

and loved when they walkthrough the theater doors.

Sarah Malone decided to joinCrew because she wanted toget involved and start serving.

When I rst started coming toHSM and didnt know any-one, it was really nice to havepeople at the doors beoreevery service making me eelwelcome and comortable,says Sarah. I thought it wouldbe amazing i I would be ableto join in and make someoneeel the same way. I also lovemeeting new people so I eltlike Crew was a great way orme to serve.

MINISTRYSPOTLIGHT:THE CREW

God calls us to be servant-hearted and put others rst,and being a part o Crew isa great way to love others.Danielle Martin, a sophomoreat Mission Viejo High and aregular attendee o HSM says,It has been really awesometo be welcomed by such agreat group o people everyweekend, and they do a reallygreat job o making peopleeel welcomed and excited tobe there.

Crew is quickly acquiring newmembers eager to serve. Theywelcome their peers with

open arms and add so muchjoy to not only HSM but alsothe Renery and Saddlebackas a whole.

Ashley Donahueis a senior atMission Viejo

High School and a member oStudent Leadership at HSMas well as a leader o the Cre-ate Ministry. This let-handedreckled-ace lady loves wa-es, Harry Potter, orests, icecream, and laughing.

Where Should You Serve?So by now you know that serving is vital to your spiritual growth. (I you do not knowthat, fip to pg. 27 and read that rst.) The large number o ministry opportunities avail-able can seem overwhelming, but this quiz should help you nd an area to serve that tsyour passions, spiritual gits, and abilities!

I you answered...

Mostly As: You are ueled by interacting with people and showing Gods loveby spending time with His children. You probably belong in one o our RelationalMinistries - Connect, Encourage, Elderly Care, Special Students, or Orphan Care.

Mostly Bs:You have no problem doing jobs that no one else wants to dobecause you know that its gloriying to God and you are helping someone! Youshould most likely sign up or one o our Service Ministries - Food Pantry, BeautiySaddleback, Community Clean-Up, or Crew.

Mostly Cs:You love expressing yoursel and serving God through instruments,art, or photography - or you have a knack or ProPresenter! You might want to con-sider one o our Creative Ministries - Live Production, Capture, Create, or the band.

1. Which activity sounds most ulflling?

a. Listening to someone tell their lie story

b. Beautiying an underprivileged persons home

c. Doing a creative project

2. What do you look or in riends?

a. Someone who I can talk with or hours

b. Someone who puts others beore themselves

c. Someone who embraces me exactly as I am

3. Which o the ollowing are you best at?

a. Having a conversation with a stranger

b. Serving people with a good attitude

c. Using art or technology to express mysel

4. Which verse are you most drawn to?

a. Matt. 25:40, Truly I tell you, whatever you did orone o the least o these brothers and sisters o mine,you did or me.

b. Phil. 2:14, Do everything without complaining orarguing.

c. Rom. 12:1, I appeal to you thereore, brothers, by

the mercies o God, to present your bodies as a livingsacrice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your

spiritual worship.

5. When do you eel most connected to God?

a. Spending quality time with someone who needslove

b. Sacricing my time to do a good deed or some-one else

c. Using the talents he gave me to serve the church

Meet Andrew.Member o Live Production

What I love about Production Team is its a place topursue my passions. Having a ministry where I can

learn a skill and serve my church at the same time is

a git rom God.

Meet Hannah.Member o Community Clean-Up

You dont have to go ar to serve; it could be assimple as helping a neighbor or a nearby park.

Starting here is a stepping stone or me.

Meet Bethany.Member o Orphan Care Ministry

When Im serving in Orphan Care, I eel The Lord tug-ging on my heartstrings. I nd mysel thinking and

even praying or all the kids I meet. As I am aecting

their lives, they are even aecting mine even more.

by Ashley Donahue

by Heather Leith


17/27

A | first things L IF ESTY L E | 32

I youve spent any time around HSM, then youve deinitelyexperienced the majesty that is Joshs calves. When a dudehas calves that are the circumerence a Stegosaurus neck,you know that hes doing something right. I you also wantcalves o Paleolithic proportions, heres a quick exercisethat Josh does every day.

-Drive to LA.-Use duct tape to asten a sandbag to each leg.-Take the stairs up the nearest skyscraper.-Repeat 12 times.

GET SUPER CALVES!

Proutys 5 Tipsto Better Abs

I youre anything like me, (and lets be honest, youre proba-bly not), getting that ripped core is at the top o your prioritylist or next summer. Nothing is more attractive than goingto the beach and making nachos with shredded cheese thatyouve grated using your abs.

Here are my top 5 secrets to achieving

the abdominals o your dreams:

1. No soda.Lets be real here, people. Thisisnt some scientic break-through. I you consume sugarydrinks, you will get at. Dietsodas are even worse! Not onlyare they ull o articial sweet-eners that slowly poison yourbody, but they also trick yourbody into wanting more sugarythings and leave you eelingbloated (blargh!). You knowwhats really good or you?WATER. Duh. You can have co-ee and unsweetened iced tea iyou must.

2. Keep the fres burning.Small meals throughout theday keeps metabolism going.Instead o eating the traditional

3 meals a day, try eating smallerportions, but more requently.

3. Mix up your routine.Your body is smart. Really smart.And i you keep doing the sameexercises day ater day, yourmuscles are like, Pshhh, Ivetotally got this. Im not evengoing to try that hardkindo like that guy in your Englishclass who never studies butalways gets straight As. Youneed to challenge your musclesby trying new exercises. Insteado crunches, trying planking ontwo chairs over some lit candlesas Anthony Hopkins rests hiseet on your back. Oh wait,thats The Legend o Zorro.

4. Take things slow.Like any relationship, your rela-tionship with your abs shouldstart slow. Making unrealisticgoals will only lead to discour-agement, and your abs mighthave commitment issues andreak out i you rush things.Dont look at the scale every-dayonly once a week. I youare consistent in eating rightand exercising daily, youll startto see results within a month!

5. Be active!Get outside and do stu! Work-ing out at the gym generallysucks because youre stuck at24 Hour Fitness with all thesehuge veiny guys and there arepeople shouting and grunting.

Yeesh. Who needs that? I mean,I do all that stu, but whatever...the best way to get those abso your dreams is to have an ac-tive liestyle. Instead o stayinginside honing your COD skillsor watching Phineas and Ferb,go on a bike ride, grab someriends to invent a game, or youcan just let the neighbors meandog out and run or your lie.

Follow this plan in conjunctionwith a healthy diet and you arejust a couple o months awayrom nacho-town. Get thatcheese ready to grate!


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L IF ESTY L E | 34


19/27

A | i rst t hing s SPIRITUAL | 36

As someone who ounded todays

eighth-largest church in the world at

age 25, Rick Warren knows a thing

or two about letting God use you ata young age. We had the privilege o

chatting with our pastor about his

ormative high school years, his hopes

or HSM, and the real motive behind

his weight loss (hint: it involves jump-

ing out o a plane).

High school is a rockytime or lots o people, yetyou seemed remarkablypurpose-driven even then.How did you stay strong inyour relationship with theLord?

The most important thing in high

school is to choose the right riends.

I you get the right riends, theyre

going to help you do all the other

things you need to do, like stay in the

Word, develop Christian habits, wor-ship, ellowship, grow, serve the Lord,

but it all starts with riends. Choosing

the right riends is the single most

important actor in your aith in high

school years.

Youve taken a lot o hugeaith risks in your lie.Were you ever scared?

Yes. In act, aith works in the realm

o the impossible, which means

youre not really trusting God unless

youre doing something you cant

do in your own power. So, every

major decision that weve done here

at Saddleback Church, I was scared

to death to do when we made thedecision. But I just believe you do

it anyway. I never listen to my ears;

I listen to aith. Courage is not the

absence o ear; its moving ahead in

spite o your ears. I youre not araid,

then you dont need courage. I you

dont need any aith, youre being

unaithul.

What do you wish youknew in high school?

Thats a good question (laughs) I

wish I knew everything I knew now!

What I wish I had known in high

school was that everything I thought

was important in high school wasnt,

and everything that I thought wasnt

important was. Because in school,

the whole school makes certain

things matter like who wins thisgame, or who goes to the prom, or

things that nobodys even going to

remember. Theyre so important,

theyre lie or death issues in high

school, but really, once youre out o

high school, theyre not important

anymore. And you go back and go,

Why did I get so uptight, so wor-

ried, so depressed about that when

it didnt really matter?I think that

the people oten who are the most

popular in high school, their lives

peak in high school, and rom then

on, its kind o downhill, and theyre

42 | 2012 fall edition

Heather Leth

As someone who one toas eghth-largest chrch n the worl

at age 25, Rc Warren nows a thng or two abot lettng Go se o

at a ong age. We ha the rlege o chattng wth or astor abot hs

ormate hgh school ears, hs hoes or HSM, an the real mote behn

h s w e g h t l o s s ( h n t : t n o l e s j m n g o t o a l a n e )

S k y d i v i N G , S T E p p i N G

OuT, ANd STAyiNG STRONGRick Warren on taking risks and his bucket list

Need something that isnt SUPER close tohis ace.the title ont/ header will change.

still living that ootball game when

they made that great pass years later

whereas otentimes people who

are kind o in the middle o the packand you dont really see them, theyre

not real big stars in high school,

theyre the ones who actually go out

and change the world.

What would you say to ayoung Christian leader whois discouraged or unsure otheir purpose?

Become a promise person. There

are 6,000 promises in the Bible, and

theyre like blank checks waiting or

us to ll them in and claim them. God

has promised to do so many things

according to His Word. I you build

your lie on promises, then youre

going to have a lot o excitement in

your lie. And i you will say, God,

I will trust you no matter what,He

will take you on the adventure o alietime and things you could have

never imagined would happen in

your lie will happen. I mean, I could

have never imagined all the stu

thats happened in my lie when I was

in high school; I had no idea! What a

lot o people want is they think Gods

will is like a map, that you pull out the

map and you can see rom the begin-

ning to the end, but it doesnt work

that way. Actually, Gods will is more

like a scroll, where God unrolls a little

bit o it, and you do that part, then

he unrolls a little bit more and you

Skydiving,stepping out,& staying strongRick Warren on taking risks and his bucket list

by Heather Leith


20/27

major at Biola University. I you ever come to Farrells Ice

Cream Parlour, she just might give you a ree sundae...but dont

tell her boss. And tip well.

Heather Leith is a Canadian with a

lingering accent who loves to try new

oods. She served as an intern this past

summer and is a sophomore journalism

HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM | 3837 | SPIRITUAL

do that part He only shows you a little bit

at a time because i He showed you the whole

thing at once, itd scare you to death. And so,

really Hes protecting us. One o the things

Ive learned since high school is that Gods tim-

ing is always perect. Sometimes I thought God

was late, but God wasnt. He wasnt late. He

was late on my timetable, but He wasnt late on

His, and God has an entire lietime to ulll His

promises in your lie.

Whats on your bucket list?

I have always wanted to skydive, and actually,

when I turned 40 years old, I was going to go

[but] I didnt get to do it because I weighed

too much! So now ater the Daniel Plan, Im

planning on getting [my weight] down lowenough that I can go skydive.

Anything else?

My goal is to just see this generation thats

growing up right now in high school take

over leadership at Saddleback Church. I dont

believe theyre the church o tomorrow, I

believe theyre the church o today. Nothing

would give me greater joy than to see our high

schoolers and college-age students really take

over leadership o Saddleback Church.

Finish this sentence: I want thehigh school ministry at mychurch to be known or...

Passion or loving God and loving people. I

we are known or those two things, thats what

matters. Its not the size o our group, its not

the coolness o our group, its: do we love Godpassionately, and do we love people passion-

ately which is the Great Commandment. I

were known or that, God is pleased, and Im

elated.

How did you come to Christ?

I came to Christ while at a summercamp in 4th grade. I grew up in aChrist-lled home but didnt startto take my aith into my own handsuntil about 7th grade.

Wow, awesome...receivingChrist so young. What typeo challenges have you hadto overcome?

The challenges Ive had to over-come have been within my amily.I grew up in a blended household,spending hal o the week at mymoms house and hal o the weekat my dads and then rotatedweekends up until my junior yearo high school. My dad remarriedwhen I was 3 so Ive grown up withmy dad, mom, stepmom, step-

brother, hal sister, and my bloodbrother. Because o my blendedamily, I had to deal with constantghting between both parents andhuge disagreements. The worstwas when my dad had to move to

Texas due to a job opportunity andI had to choose between staying inCaliornia with my mom or movingto Texas with my dad. The hardestchallenges always stemmed romeeling like I had to choose a sidewithout hurting anyone elses eel-ings.

How did your relationshipwith Christ help you duringthose challenges?

Christ was my everything duringthese challenges. Although I wasangry at God or all the hardshipwithin my amily or awhile, He

turned my viewpoint around. Withprayer and quiet time, I was ableto see the ways He was workingthrough my lie and my amily. Attimes when I elt alone, God lledme with love and compassion. Ihonestly dont know what I wouldbe like today without having Christthroughout these challenges.

Ater going through thiswhat type o advice wouldyou give someone i theyound themselves goingthrough the same things asyou?

My advice would be dont be angrywith God. Because I was angry atHim, I ound mysel being angry ateverything and not trying to ndthe positive in situations. Focuson strengthening your relation-ship with God instead o pushingHim away. The verse I always keepwith me is Philippians 4:13, I cando all things through Christ whostrengthens me.Also, talk withsomeonea riend, a teacher, a LieGroup leader, anyone. Emotionsare not meant to stay locked insideyou. My Lie Group was a hugesupport system through thesechallenges. Having people to talkto about all the struggles was sohelpul.

Describe your relationship

with Christ today.

My relationship with Christ isincredible. I am condent that Iwould not be who I am withoutHim today. Each day I grow inmy aith and grow deeper in myrelationship with Him. God wasmy rock when the world couldntprovide a oundation or me. Hecontinues to be that rock day inand day out. I am beyond excited tosee the plans He has or me in theuture.

Jlanna Marraccno s a 2012 graate o Msson vejoHgh School an s heae to Balor unerst n theall to major n Relgon. She was gracos enogh toshare her stor o enrng the cltes o a bleneaml an leanng on Chrst to men her broenness.

TESTIMONY CORNERb Aaron AC Crmbe

photo by whitney schey


21/27

39 | SPIRITUAL HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM | 40

So Im huge into movies. LOVE them actually. When Im in a movie theater I end up

thinking Im actually IN the movie. But sometimes a movie is so predictable, its hard to

lose mysel in it. For instance, I recently saw that rebooted Spiderman movie and even

though I enjoyed it, it wasnt very original. The plot was like every superhero movie:

But I realized something recently: the plot in a superhero movie is predictable to me

because I know its a story. To the characters IN the movie its not predictable at all

because they DONT know that their lives are a story. Think about the rst third o Spi-

derman: Peter Parker is a nerdy kid who is orphaned by his parents, picked on at school,

ignored by the girl he loves, and who is (kind o) responsible or his uncles death. Now

because were watching the movie (and we know theres, like, another hour and a hal

to go) were thinking, Thats sad, but I bet this all works outand then it does and ev-

erything ends happily ever ater. But imagine or a second that youre Peter Parker and

all that just happened to YOU: your reaction would be WAAAAY dierent.

I mean, just think about how you react to bad stu now:

- a test that you did bad on - a riend who let you down

- a situation at home thats tough - a guy/girl that rejected you

- a bald spot thats taking over your head (maybe thats just me)

My point is this: when bad stu happens to us its the end o the world. We get super

reaked out, or depressed, or maybe we get mad at God and wonder, Why would He

let this happen?!But what i we thought o our lie like a movie? In Genesis, theres

a story o a guy named Joseph (you can read his whole story in Gen. 37-46). Early in

his lie, God tells Joseph Ive got big plans or you!Then, Joseph is betrayed by his

brothers, sold into slavery, alsely accused o rape, thrown into prison, and then orgot-

ten about by people who could get him out. Hes the Peter Parker o Bible characters

(minus mutant spider abilitiesI think).

But like Peter Parker, Josephs story isnt

over yet. As a matter o act, God uses all

o these really bad things to tell an AWE-

SOME story with his lie. By the end o

the story (spoiler alert!) Joseph becomes

second in command o the most power-

ul nation on the planet. Does that mean

Joseph should have been all happy and

peaceul while in prison singing, i Im

happy and I know it, clank my handcus?

No! Lie is painul, and some o the stu

youre experiencing right now might be

really, really hard. And thats okay. All Im

saying is this: how would your lie change

i you thought o it as a story? I God is an

amazing storyteller, (and I believe He is),

then think about this: I you are between

14-18 years old then youre probably only

1/5 o the way through your story! Thatmeans you have yet to see how God is

going to use everything happening right

now or something awesome that you

have no idea even exists yet!! I honestly

believe that i you could see the purpose

God created you or youd go I get to do

THAT!?!?!?!

So the next time lie gets tough, remem-

ber these three truths:

1) My lie is a story.

2) This is just the beginning.

3) Gods a GREAT storyteller, so Im

going to trust Him.

I really believe that i you and me and

everyone else could see our lives this way,

it would change everything. And just

maybe, we would step in to the heroic,

amazing story God has written or us.

SpidERMAN ANd JOSEpH

B Y J O S H P E A S E

Hero gets super-cool powers. Hero struggles to understand super-cool powerswhile ghting a bizarre mutant enemy. Hero ultimately triumphs, nds identity,and looks over his city while epic music swells.

Josh Pease is the Student

Pastor at Rancho Capistrano

Campus, husband to an amaz-

When we accept Gods git o salvation and become Christians, the next stepis to be baptized. But is baptism a magical moment that transorms us and

secures our salvation? Or is it something else?

Baptism is not necessary to be saved. The Bible says in Romans 5:1 that it is

through our aith that we are justied beore God. Also, Ehesans 2:8-9 says,

For by grace you have been saved through aith; and that not o yourselves,

it is the git o God; not as a result o works, that no one should boast.

However, in Acts 2:38 Peter says, Repent, and let each o you be baptized

in the name o Jesus Christ or the orgiveness o your sins; and you shall

receive the git o the Holy Spirit.

And in 1 peter 3:21: And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you

not the removal o dirt rom the esh, but an appeal to God or a good con

sciencethrough the resurrection

o Jesus Christ.

Scripture teaches us that justica-

tion is by aith, but it also teaches

that baptism is a necessary result o

becoming a disciple o Christ (Matt.

28:18-19). Even 1 peter 3:21 above

says that the baptism mentioned is

not one dealing with water, but an

appeal to God.

God works in covenants. A covenant

is a pact or agreement between two

or more parties. The New and Old

Testaments are New and Old Cov-

enants. The word testament comes

rom the Latin testamentum whichmeans covenant! So, the Bible is a

covenant. Baptism is not a covenant

but a covenant signa symbol o

an agreement between two parties,

ourselves and God. Covenant signs

dont save; they represent the things

that do.

Regeneration, or us becoming new

creations in Christ, happens by aith.

Aterwards, we are baptized as an

outward symbol o an inward real-

ity. The outward washing o water

represents the reality o the inward

washing o Christs blood upon our

souls.

THE FOuNdATiONS SERiES: BApTiSM

BY TRAVIS PROUTY

I y ou havent been bap ti zed y et ,

H S M i s the p erect p lace to do i t !

Contact alai nah@ s addleback . com

to take the next s tep and celebrate

what God has done i n y our l i e!

BAPTISM: WHATS THE DEAL?

ing wie, and thinks the recent Batman trilogy

might be the best movie trilogy o all time.

You can contact him at joshp@saddleback.


22/27

Cory Tomlinson, 2011 & 2012 Summer Intern

To have a job where workis hanging out with students is incredible. I lovethe opportunities that have come up to have awesome conversation and buildinto the lives o students. The past two summers have inspired me to seek out auture in mentoring and working with high schoolers.

*Those who have been out o high school or one year or more are welcome to apply byemailing [email protected].

41 | SPIRITUAL

clubz

GET INVOLVEDAT SCHOOL!I you are a high school student, you are a missionary. The coolestpart about being in high school is that you get to spend ve daysa week with people that dont know Jesus. But you arent in mis-sionary journey alone. At your school there are other Christiansthat are ghting the same battle as you are.

At HSM, we have ve major schools that make up our congrega-tionMission Viejo, Trabuco Hills, Capistrano Valley, Tesoro, andEl Toro. Each o these schools have one or more clubs on theircampus that are made up o Christians trying to make a dier-

ence at their school. Below is a list o all o these clubs and aperson you can contact to nd out more!

TesoroCookies & Christ: It is a group o Tesoro students that are dedi-cated to spreading Christs love through serving others, eatingcookies, and engaging in ellowship. Chad Duncan, senior

Ater School Snack: High school can be a time when studentsbegin to seriously question their belies. Ater School Snack is acommunity o believers who share their doubts and deal withthem together, growing stronger in ellowship in aith. RyanKelleher, senior

Trabuco HillsCookies & Christ: Cookies and Christ is a Christian club thatmeets weekly at lunch. The club allows students to come and

ellowship while snackinon cookies! At each meeting a studentshares a message about the Bible. Chloe Jarrett, senior

Capistrano ValleyFellowship Christian o Athletes (FCA): Capo FCA is all about being areection o Christ! We want to spread His love and be a light withinour school and community! Brad Assara, sophomore

El ToroFellowship Christian Athletes (FCA): FCA is a great place to meetduring the week and receive good teaching. The ellowsh ip thereis wonderul, and the outreaches give students the opportunity topreach Gods word on our campus.Ian Glatz, junior

Mission ViejoCookies & Christ: Cookies and Christ is a place at Mission wherestudents can come to dig deep into Gods word while eating cookieswith their riends! Alyssa Caouette, junior

Fellowship o Christian Athletes (FCA): FCA is a christian club atMission that stands or Fellowship o Christian Athletes, but you donot have to be a Christian or an Athlete to join. Its a time at lunchwhere you can see riends, play games, eat ree ood and hear awe-some speakers and athletesstories. Makenna Williams, sophomoreI you go to another school and want to know i there is a club on yourcampus, message Colton Harker on Facebook!

2013 HSMSUMMER

INTERN-SHIPmake an impact | serve the church | build your resume | gain ministry experience | love others intentionally

The summer internship program is a cant-miss op-portunity to join the HSM team in pulling o anotherincredible summer. You will contribute to planningevents, services, and camp while being blessed by therelationships you orge with students. This un andullling position will give you the chance to make animpact or the Kingdom with a loving sta to guide

you every step o the way!

Heather Leith, 2012 Summer Intern

I loved pouring out all that God has beenteaching me through speaking at Biblestudies, covering high schoolers in prayer,and orming riendships with youngerstudents. My lie has been changed.

Bree Schi, 2012 Summer Intern

I was super involved as astudent in HSM, but thisinternship showed me somuch more about servingthan I ever expected. Ev-erything, rom connectingwith students to workingon a team to teaching GodsWord, has showed me whatministry is all about.

HIGHSCHOOLMINISTRY.COM | 42


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43 | CULTURE CULTURE | 44

Films have the power to instruct andinspire.Movies like Taken (a lm about a girlwho is kidnapped by sex trafckers) bring toour awareness the injustices happening aroundthe world. Lord o the Rings (a trilogy writtenby our brother in Christ, J.R.R. Tolkien) is anincredible depiction o the importance o el-lowship, hope, and the ght against evil. Filmslike Schindlers List (true story o a Germanwho saved hundreds o Jews in the midst o

the Holocaust) remind us o horrors past thatcannot be orgotten, lest they be repeated, andthe reality o mans capable evil.

On the other hand, movies have the abilityto destruct and destroy. Movies like Twilightcan leave us with an unrealistic expectationo love which may lead to depression andrestlessness. Films like The Hangover or ProjectX desensitize us over time, making it moreand more difcult to discern right rom wrong.What we once thought wed never do suddenlydoesnt eel like such a big deal anymore. TheBible says that i we dont guard our hearts by ltering what we watch, read, listen to, orwho we spend time with we become likewatered-down wine.This means that webecome ineective, which makes it extremelydifcult to be a light in the world as we arecalled by our Heavenly Father.

I believe all truth is Gods truth, and thateverything we watch and listen to is telling us

something about relationships and lie. I werenot careul, those things we put in our mindswill shape our thoughts and actions. The Biblesays, The eye is the lamp o the body. I your eyesare healthy, your whole body will be ull o light.But i your eyes are unhealthy, your whole bodywill be ull o darkness. I then the light within youis darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mat-thew 6:22-23).

I want to encourage you all to watch mov-ies with a critical eye. Look or the truth in ev-erything. Ask yoursel: What about this lm wastrue to lie? Was this lm realistic or romantic?Can I avoid the consequences these characterssuered by making dierent decisions in myown lie? Why did this move me so deeply?Films are incredible conversation starters andtools to witness to others.

I encourage you all to take advantage othe stories you see or hear or read by compar-ing them against Gods truth (Scripture), real-izing that He uses all mediums to speak to us.Proverbs 3:21-23 says, My child, preserve sound

judgment and discernment, do not let them outo your sight; they will be lie or you, an orna-ment to grace your neck. Then you will go on yourway in saety, and your oot will not stumble.

Every detail o your lie aects your rela-tionship with Jesus, including what you worryabout, what makes you excited, who you spend

your time with, and what you watch. So next timeyou stand in ront o the theater looking up atthe list o movie choices, ask yoursel, Will thispositively aect my relationship with the Lord andmy witness to others?I you cant wholeheartedlyanswer, Yes,it may be wise to pick another.

Since childhood, Ive been drawn to the power o stories specically lms and their ability to evoke emotion, spread

awareness, and speak truth. Aside rom Scripture, the Lord uses movies more than anything else to teach me things.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STORIESb Hoe Schoen

Hope Schoen recently completedher two-year internship at HSM.She is (hopeully) in LA pursuing an

acting career, and taking with her, in heart, allthe wonderul people she met and lessons shelearned over the last 24 months. At any giventime you can nd her talking about whales,wrapping hersel in a blanket, or, o course,enjoying a good movie.

Dont See ItI you see these movies, heres what yourereally getting yoursel into.

Charlie St. Cloud- 6th Sense all grown-up.New Years Eve - Robert De Niro has no businessin a Zac Eron lm.

Avatar- Pocahontas with a bigger budget.L.O.L. - What I tweeted ater I saw it.What to Expect When Youre Expecting- Expectbad things.

Abduction - Mission Impossible 5: MakingTaylor Lautner an Action Star.

Jack and Jill- Went up a hill to take $11.50rom your pocket.

RECOMMENDED READS:

One Minute Bible

Doug FieldsObviously a quick read,but this book de-nitely doesnt lack substance.It combinesa ew verses or each day that you readwhich creates a great daily devotional.

The Case or Christ/

Case or FaithLee Strobel

Thesetwo books undamentallychanged my liewhen I was in highschool.I you arestruggling with keyquestions about who Jesus is or yourrelationshipwith theLord, this book isperect or you.

Living Loud: Deending

Your FaithNormanGeisler &Joseph HoldenApologetics.This book explores how weareoten told what to believewithout re-ally knowingthereasons why weshouldbelieveit. Its a un read lled with tonsogreat inormation!

Live Large, Be Diferent,

Shine BrightDoug Fields &Joshua GrifnCo-written by our very own Josh Grifn,this book explores topics like integrity,afrmingothers,c ompetition and cliques.With this combination ohilariousauthors,its also a very unny book.Checkit out! You wont regret it.

Know Your Bible: All 66

Books ExplainedThis guideto theBi bleis perect orsupplementingyour knowledgeo all66books otheB ible.It contains thebackground,themes,key verses and a re-ally cool so whatsection that makes thepractical application othe Bibleeasy!

*Come drop by and pick up some FREE resources at the GROW booth right outside the Renery Theater.

Franose Har - Le Tems e Lamor

J. Thoen - Ct Maze

The Roal Sons - vcos Loe INSIDE[HSM]INSIDE[HSM] magazine Fall 2012, Issue 1

Executive editor | Heather Leith

Graphic design| Dillon Phommasa

Photo |Emily Arnold, Dillon Phommasa,

Capture ministry

Copy editors| Monica Ware and Emily Arnold

Contributing writers | Taylor Ishii, Hope Schoen,

Josh Pease, Ashley Donahue

Cover |Parker Stech

Special thanks | the HSM staff, Pastor Rick

Warren, and Andrew Barron of RedCar Media

All Sons & daghters - yor Glor

Slow Clb - When i Go

Alexaner - Trth

O Monsters An Men - drt paws

SUGGESTED SONGS:


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Films have the power to instruct andinspire.Movies like Taken (a lm about a girlwho is kidnapped by sex trafckers) bring toour awareness the injustices happening aroundthe world. Lord o the Rings (a trilogy writtenby our brother in Christ, J.R.R. Tolkien) is anincredible depiction o the importance o el-lowship, hope, and the ght against evil. Filmslike Schindlers List (true story o a Germanwho saved hundreds o Jews in the midst othe Holocaust) remind us o horrors past thatcannot be orgotten, lest they be repeated, andthe reality o mans capable evil.

On the other hand, movies have the abilityto destruct and destroy. Movies like Twilightcan leave us with an unrealistic expectationo love which may lead to depression andrestlessness. Films like The Hangover or ProjectX desensitize us over time, making it moreand more difcult to discern right rom wrong.What we once thought wed never do suddenlydoesnt eel like such a big deal anymore. TheBible says that i we dont guard our hearts by ltering what we watch, read, listen to, orwho we spend time with we become likewatered-down wine.This means that webecome ineective, which makes it extremelydifcult to be a light in the world as we arecalled by our Heavenly Father.

I believe all truth is Gods truth, and thateverything we watch and listen to is telling us

something about relationships and lie. I werenot careul, those things we put in our mindswill shape our thoughts and actions. The Biblesays, The eye is the lamp o the body. I your eyesare healthy, your whole body will be ull o light.But i your eyes are unhealthy, your whole bodywill be ull o darkness. I then the light within youis darkness, how great is that darkness! (Mat-thew 6:22-23).

I want to encourage you all to watch mov-ies with a critical eye. Look or the truth in ev-erything. Ask yoursel: What about this lm wastrue to lie? Was this lm realistic or romantic?Can I avoid the consequences these characterssuered by making dierent decisions in myown lie? Why did this move me so deeply?Films are incredible conversation starters andtools to witness to others.

I encourage you all to take advantage othe stories you see or hear or read by compar-ing them against Gods truth (Scripture), real-izing that He uses all mediums to speak to us.Proverbs 3:21-23 says, My child, preserve sound

judgment and discernment, do not let them outo your sight; they will be lie or you, an orna-ment to grace your neck. Then you will go on yourway in saety, and your oot will not stumble.

Every detail o your lie aects your rela-tionship with Jesus, including what you worryabout, what makes you excited, who you spend

your time with, and what you watch. So next timeyou stand in ront o the theater looking up atthe list o movie choices, ask yoursel, Will thispositively aect my relationship with the Lord andmy witness to others?I you cant wholeheartedlyanswer, Yes,it may be wise to pick another.

Since childhood, Ive been drawn to the power o stories specically lms and their ability to evoke emotion, spread

awareness, and speak truth. Aside rom Scripture, the Lord uses movies more than anything else to teach me things.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STORIESb Hoe Schoen

Hope Schoen recently completedher two-year internship at HSM.She is (hopeully) in LA pursuing an

acting career, and taking with her, in heart, allthe wonderul people she met and lessons shelearned over the last 24 months. At any giventime you can nd her talking about whales,wrapping hersel in a blanket, or, o course,enjoying a good movie.

Dont See ItI you see these movies, heres what yourereally getting yoursel into.

Charlie St. Cloud- 6th Sense all grown-up.New Years Eve - Robert De Niro has no businessin a Zac Eron lm.

Avatar- Pocahontas with a bigger budget.L.O.L. - What I tweeted ater I saw it.What to Expect When Youre Expecting- Expectbad things.

Abduction - Mission Impossible 5: MakingTaylor Lautner an Action Star.

Jack and Jill- Went up a hill to take $11.50rom your pocket.

CULTURE | 44

RECOMMENDED READS:

One Minute Bible

Doug FieldsObviously a quick read,but this book de-nitely doesnt lack substance.It combinesa ew verses or each day that you readwhich creates a great daily devotional.

The Case or Christ/

Case or FaithLee Strobel

Thesetwo books undamentallychanged my liewhen I was in highschool.I you arestruggling with keyquestions about who Jesus is or yourrelationshipwith theLord, this book isperect or you.

Living Loud: Deending

Your FaithNormanGeisler &Joseph HoldenApologetics.This book explores how weareoten told what to believewithout re-ally knowingthereasons why weshouldbelieveit. Its a un read lled with tonsogreat inormation!

Live Large, Be Diferent,

Shine BrightDoug Fields &Joshua GrifnCo-written by our very own Josh Grifn,this book explores topics like integrity,afrmingothers,c ompetition and cliques.With this combination ohilariousauthors,its also a very unny book.Checkit out! You wont regret it.

Know Your Bible: All 66

Books ExplainedThis guideto theBi bleis perect orsupplementingyour knowledgeo all66books otheB ible.It contains thebackground,themes,key verses and a re-ally cool so whatsection that makes thepractical application othe Bibleeasy!

*Come drop by and pick up some FREE resources at the GROW booth right outside the Renery Theater.

Franose Har - Le Tems e Lamor

J. Thoen - Ct Maze

The Roal Sons - vcos Loe INSIDE[HSM]INSIDE[HSM] magazine Fall 2012, Issue 1

Executive editor | Heather Leith

Graphic design| Dillon Phommasa

Photo |Emily Arnold, Dillon Phommasa,

Capture ministry

Copy editors| Monica Ware and Emily Arnold

Contributing writers | Taylor Ishii, Hope Schoen,

Josh Pease, Ashley Donahue

Cover |Parker Stech

Special thanks | the HSM staff, Pastor Rick

Warren, and Andrew Barron of RedCar Media

All Sons & daghters - yor Glor

Slow Clb - When i Go

Alexaner - Trth

O Monsters An Men - drt paws

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